Brewer Joel Johnson, formerly of Bear Republic and lately of Petaluma's 101 North Brewing Company, will produce the beers. He already has a close relationship with Sprenger and is preparing to debut a house red ale for the tap room.

The Calistoga beer will be brewed at the beer garden with water drawn from a well on the site, which is owned by his family, Sprenger said.

The beer garden will be located at 1473 Lincoln Ave., but situated on vacant space behind the Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant and other street front businesses, Sprenger said. It's not yet clear how the entryway to the garden will be configured so as not to interfere with the existing businesses.

Calistoga is already home to the only brewery in northern Napa County, the Calistoga Inn, but that operation has been closed since August because of a fire. The owners say they hope to reopen over the summer after an extensive refit of the century-old hotel and restaurant.

The only other northern brewery, Silverado Brewing Company in St. Helena, closed last year after Jackson Family Wines Inc. bought out the brewpub's lease at the Freemark Abbey winery.